Highlight-reel OF DeJesus among six roster cuts

JUPITER, Fla. — The Springfield Cardinals’ YouTube sensation of a year ago will have to take his traveling act elsewhere, as the St. Louis farm system’s minor league staff decided to release outfielder Antone DeJesus.

DeJesus was among six roster casualties this morning as St. Louis’ farm continued to whittle down its expansive rosters ahead of the April 3 openers for full-season affiliates.

The other casualties included former Springfield second baseman Jose Martinez, who had missed the past two seasons because of a right shoulder injury; and several lower-level farmhands: Palm Beach outfielder C.J. Beatty; short-season Batavia pitcher Nick McCulley; Rookie-level Johnson City pitcher Charllan Jimenez and low Class A Quad Cities infielder Devin Goodwin.

DeJesus, a 16th-round pick in 2007 from Kentucky, spent the past two seasons at Double-A Springfield. A year ago, he .206 in a limited number of at-bats (189) as he primarily served as a fourth outfielder.

His season was highlighted by a home-run robbing catch in May, a play featured on “SportsCenter” and remains on YouTube.

But the Cardinals didn’t see DeJesus as more than a fourth outfielder again this season and needed to make room for other outfielders, said farm director John Vuch.

“He never really got the playing time that would have been ideal for him to get,” Vuch said. “It was a little unfair for him. He’s a big-league caliber defensive player and runs the bases well. But offense was always an issue.

“Sometimes it’s kind of a question of a chicken or the egg. Does he not produce as much as he could because he’s not getting the at-bats? Or is he not getting the at-bats because he’s not producing offensively.”

Vuch went on.

“In retrospect, maybe he would have been better served to be in Palm Beach a couple of years ago and playing every day there,” Vuch said. “But he was in Double-A, didn’t play every day and never could break through.”

About Kary Booher

Kary Booher covers the Springfield Cardinals and small colleges for the News-Leader. A native of southern Kansas, he is a graduate (and former sports editor of student newspapers) of Cowley County (Kan.) Community College and Oklahoma State University. You also may have read his work on the sports pages in Topeka and Pittsburg in Kansas and Jackson, Tenn., or once saw him in his youth water-skiing on Table Rock Lake near the Kimberling City bridge.